Everyday Mommy has started a new "thing" for Tuesdays "What'cha Think?"
"This week I want to know what y'all think about comments. "Does it encourage you to continue blogging when you receive comments"? If you're in a blogging slump, do comments seem to charge your batteries, or are they just part and parcel to blogging? Do you personally respond to the comments you receive?"
I answered this a little in her comments section. But I keep thinking about it. My comment WAS this...
"I LOVE comments! I know most of the time my posts are not very exciting but I love to know that someone is reading. Sometimes I just need an "AMEN SISTER!" I started my blog for ME - really - but it has evolved to me with an audience. Interesting. And I LOVE when I "meet" someone who has me on their sidebar!! You know someone I don't know IRL. THAT is cool. That someone I don't know, someone who doesn't know me - thinks I'm cool enough to read. "
And I KEEP thinking about it. WHY are comments so important to me? Really - they are - they shouldn't be - but they are. I have quite a few blogs that I read EVERY day that get tons of responses. Me, not so much.
Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer tells us not to live by our Sitemeters - it's a good thing I don't. Otherwise I might be wondering why I get 40+ hits a day but 85% of them are for 0 seconds! I wish those ones weren't counted! I readily do.
I know there are several IRL friends who read my blog on a semi-regular basis. I know there are a few readers who found me thru a post in a comments section, or a tour or something.
I have found myself wondering why I like having an audience. My best friend summed it up best for me I think. "You're just more social.." I am. I LIKE having friends and acquaintances.
Granted, I have levels of friends. Everyone does.
I have only 2 on my inner most circle. One I am married to. The other is my sister in heart, next closest ring is still only populated by a precious few. It goes out from there - to the ladies I FLY with (you know who you are!) and extended family and neighbors. My "girls", the ones you go out with to have a laugh, to pick each other up, to vent when you need to (just not necessarily the deepest most innermost stuff).
I noticed on Sunday - we had that luncheon at church, and my sister in heart (who also attends the same church) and her family were not there. My family sat kindof alone. I mean, we chatted with people and had a nice time. BUT no one else sat with us. Not a huge chatfest. I just don't know how to break thru and MAKE FRIENDS with some of these people. Not that they are the problem - it's me. I am nervous in large groups - YES I AM - I try to brave it out most of the time - but I really have a hard time making new friends. Eventhough I want to.
That's part of the reason I like the blog world so much - you can get the friendship and camaraderie without the social awkwardness. I am STILL nervous about calling my friends around here. Thoughts like "Maybe they are busy", "Maybe they have company", "Maybe they don't really like me and are just being nice since we are in this group". With Blogs - someone is ALWAYS home.
I need to get over this. But still - all ten of you, COMMENT! ;-) (that means you in the back too!)
9 comments:
Well unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I can explain several of the zero second hits to your site. You know that I read your blog daily, and actually check it several times a day. It only takes a half second to see that you haven't written anything new. I also use you as a springboard to two others (and spring from those to a couple of others). I find what you write very interesting and am enjoying watching you find your faith.
i started a blog to see if i could keep it up, then i invited my family and friends who are far away to keep up with my life. comments are nice, and days when more people see me than normal are good, but i just like jotting things down.
i enjoy comments, it's nice to get someone elses perspective sometimes, but i don't live for them. but i love to read other blogs comments, nothing is a better indicator of a good blog than a good comment.
Hey babe,
I totally know what you mean. Can you believe that I, queen of the chattys, get nervous and anxious in social situations? That I have been playing in the guitar group at church for no less than ten years and I still feel my heart drop down into my stomach and my palms get sweaty? That I have to psych myself up and practice what I am going to say when I know I am going to see people, go to the doctor or (and this is weird!) ORDER A PIZZA? WHO PRACTICES WHEN THEY ORDER A PIZZA???? Me.
So, you keep thos closest for a reason. They have never let you down. You are probably like me and had people hurt you in the past and can't completely open up unconditionalyl (but open your self up just enough to allow friendships that feel good) or perhaps just don't like anyone and want to live under a rock. I doubt that is it.
Anywho, this is long enough (Amen to that!)
I think what makes comments so great is that it is a mini-boost... especially for the mom-blogger. We like to see that we all can relate, nobody's the perfect mother, etc. We don't realize that we need these cheerleaders, but it does help. Don't you think?
Amen, Sister! :)
I am right there with you on everything you wrote. Well, I wasn't in church on Sunday, but everything else could have been written by me.
I blog only for comments. Lol Not true...really...but without them I'd probably stop!
Oh and the 0 second ones dont always mean o seconds. Someone could read every post on your main page and it would show 0 seconds. It can only tell how long they've been there if they refresh a page or go to another. Then it can tell the time between the two. Even then it doesnt add on the time spent on the last page read. Do you get what I'm saying?
OK now, I could get in BIG trouble writing this . . . . but I will anyway . . . of the five blogs I read, I usually save yours for last. (I save the best for last.) Not that you are a more prolific writer, or even that your life is more exciting. (Karin and M-J have everyone beat on that - LOL!) It is, I suppose, that the thought of reading yours arouses my curiousity . . What will Heather be writing about today? . . . is the question on my mind as I link from one to five, in this specific order M-J, SAHM, Chaotic, Eccles and you! And you never let me down (except for the TV recaps - sorry). So, you keep writing and I promise to try to comment more. Deal?
So, I got you on my bloglines. I'm so new at this I don't even know if that would show up on stats? Does it? Anyway that would place me in catigory BIG LURKER.
:-)
But I see this is comment #9 so who's the other big lurker that's not commenting?
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